%0 Journal Article
%T The West Meets the East: A Study of Jason Elliot¡¯s <i> Mirrors of the Unseen</i>
%A Nozar Niazi
%A Ehsan Honarjou
%J Studies in Literature and Language
%D 2012
%I Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture
%R 10.3968/2252
%X Travel writing, as a literary genre has a special place in the history of English literature. Among the many travelogues written about Persia, Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran (2006) by Jason Elliot is an outstanding one. In documenting the history, culture and civilization of the people it follows a different approach. The present research is going to depict the differences and affinities in Elliot¡¯s writings and objectives to other travel writers¡¯ objectives in travelling to Persia and presenting this country. In Mirrors of the Unseen, architecture plays an important role through which the possibility of understanding the ¡®Other¡¯ and the ¡®Self¡¯ are matched with each another. The method Elliot follows to understand the nations is through their narrations embodied in their architecture, which narrate the nation¡¯s past and present history, desires and motives. Reaching this job, one of Elliot¡¯s objectives is to find the origin and character of Islamic architecture. In doing so, in addition to studying architecture, he makes a bridge between East and West by comparing and contrasting different signs and symbols hence approving or contrasting his pre-knowledge. In dealing with architecture signs and objects Elliot appears as a Barthesian critic avante la letter, whose focus is on the underlying meanings behind each sign and who decodes them based on his insight. Relating to this objective, I am concerned with showing Elliot¡¯s aesthetic reflection and analysis of Persian architecture. Through these personal discoveries and explorations Elliot follows the tradition of modern travel wiring started with Byron and creates a turning point in the history of travel writing of the East. Key words: Travel Writing; Architecture; Persia; Self and Other
%K Travel Writing
%K Architecture
%K Persia
%K Self and Other
%U http://cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/view/2252